Information Processing Apparatus and Information Processing Method

1. An information processing apparatus for displaying and setting operating conditions of a peripheral device, the information processing apparatus comprising: a display unit; an operating condition selection unit selecting two or more operating conditions from a plurality of operating conditions; a first comparison unit comparing the selected two or more operating conditions for each of a plurality of operating condition items that constitute each operating condition; and a first display control unit controlling the display unit to display the selected two or more operating conditions by displaying, in a first display mode, an operating condition item whose value is different between the two or more operating conditions and by displaying, in a second display mode different from the first display mode, another operating condition item whose value is identical between the two or more operating conditions.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operating condition items are arranged hierarchically, and include a higher-rank operating condition item and at least one lower-rank operation condition item related to the higher-rank operating condition item, further comprising a higher-rank display-mode setting unit that sets a higher-rank display mode, in which when the value of at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item is different between the two or more operating conditions, the first display control unit controls the display unit to display the higher-rank operating condition item in the first display mode, while failing to display the at least one lower-rank operating condition item.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a hierarchical display-mode setting unit that sets a hierarchical display mode, in which when the value of at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item is different between the two or more operating conditions, the first display control unit controls the display unit to display, in the first display mode, both of the at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item and the higher-rank operating condition item.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first display mode and the second display mode are different from each other in their color.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a storage unit storing a default operating condition; a second comparison unit comparing one of the selected two or more operating conditions with the default operating condition for each of the plurality of operating condition items that constitute each of the plurality of operating conditions and the default operating condition; and a second display control unit controlling the display unit to display an operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is different from the default operating condition in a display mode different from a display mode for displaying another operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is identical to the default operating condition.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the second display control unit controls the display unit to display an operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is different from the default operating condition, in a color different from another color for displaying another operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is identical to the default operating condition.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a changing unit changing the value of one of the operating condition items for one of the selected two or more operation conditions.

8. An information processing method for displaying and setting operating conditions of a peripheral device, the information processing method comprising: selecting two or more operating conditions from a plurality of operating conditions; comparing the selected two or more operating conditions for each of a plurality of operating condition items that constitute each operating condition; and controlling a display unit to display the selected two or more operating conditions by displaying, in a first display mode, an operating condition item whose value is different between the two or more operating conditions and by displaying, in a second display mode different from the first display mode, another operating condition item whose value is identical between the two or more operating conditions.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of operating condition items are arranged hierarchically, and include a higher-rank operating condition item and at least one lower-rank operation condition item related to the higher-rank operating condition item, further comprising setting a higher-rank display mode, wherein during the higher-rank display mode, when the value of at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item is different between the two or more operating conditions, the display unit is controlled to display the higher-rank operating condition item in the first display mode, while failing to display the at least one lower-rank operating condition item.

10. The information processing method according to claim 9 , further comprising setting a hierarchical display mode, wherein during the hierarchical display mode, when the value of at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item is different between the two or more operating conditions, the display unit is controlled to display, in the first display mode, both of the at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item and the higher-rank operating condition item.

11. The information processing method according to claim 8 , wherein the first display mode and the second display mode are different from each other in their color.

12. The information processing method according to claim 8 , further comprising: comparing one of the selected two or more operating conditions with the default operating condition for each of the plurality of operating condition items that constitute each of the plurality of operating conditions and the default operating condition; and controlling the display unit to display an operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is different from the default operating condition in a display mode different from a display mode for displaying another operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is identical to the default operating condition.

13. The information processing method according to claim 12 , wherein the display unit is controlled to display an operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is different from the default operating condition, in a color different from another color for displaying another operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is identical to the default operating condition.

14. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions, executable on a data processing device, for displaying and setting operating conditions of a peripheral device, the instructions comprising: selecting, with the data processing device, two or more operating conditions from a plurality of operating conditions; comparing the selected two or more operating conditions for each of a plurality of operating condition items that constitute each operating condition; and controlling a display unit to display the selected two or more operating conditions by displaying, in a first display mode, an operating condition item whose value is different between the two or more operating conditions and by displaying, in a second display mode different from the first display mode, another operating condition item whose value is identical between the two or more operating conditions.

15. The storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of operating condition items are arranged hierarchically, and include a higher-rank operating condition item and at least one lower-rank operation condition item related to the higher-rank operating condition item, further comprising setting a higher-rank display mode, wherein during the higher-rank display mode, when the value of at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item is different between the two or more operating conditions, the display unit is controlled to display the higher-rank operating condition item in the first display mode, while failing to display the at least one lower-rank operating condition item.

16. The storage medium according to claim 15 , further comprising setting a hierarchical display mode, wherein during the hierarchical display mode, when the value of at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item is different between the two or more operating conditions, the display unit is controlled to display, in the first display mode, both of the at least one of the at least one lower-rank operating condition item and the higher-rank operating condition item.

17. The storage medium according to claim 14 , further comprising: comparing one of the selected two or more operating conditions with the default operating condition for each of the plurality of operating condition items that constitute each of the plurality of operating conditions and the default operating condition; and controlling the display unit to display an operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is different from the default operating condition in a display mode different from a display mode for displaying another operating condition item, of the one of the selected two or more operation conditions, whose value is identical to the default operating condition.